


Placated Cacophony

by Omegatits



Series: A Symphony So Sweet [4]
Category: ONEUS (Band), ONEWE (Band)
Genre: ATEEZ - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Biting, Blood, Demon AU, Demon Alternate Universe, Demon!Dongju, Demon!Dongmyeong, Demon!Harin, Demon!Hwanwoong, Demon!Hyungu, Demon!Keonhee, Dystopia, Dystopian Alternate Universe, Edging, Eldritch, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Featured fandoms:, Gore, Graphic Violence, Kinks that may be featured:, M/M, Slow Burn, Tags May Change, a.c.e - Freeform, cix - Freeform, cock stepping, eldritch horror, light dom/sub dynamic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:27:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24072946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omegatits/pseuds/Omegatits
Summary: Yonghoon steps forward toward the two chairs in front of Youngjo's desk. Each seat is occupied by a twin, leaving him to stand between them.Meeting them this way, Yonghoon no longer feels the excitement he once had. He doesn't know what he was expecting, but facing them was something else. Though he'd been warned of their attitude towards others, he still had some hopes that their meeting would at least spark an understanding between them. Instead he has been met with walls tightly built around the twin's vulnerabilities.
Relationships: Jin Yonghoon / Son Dongju | Xion, Jin Yonghoon / Son Dongmyeong, Jin Yonghoon / Son Dongmyeong / Son Dongju | Xion
Series: A Symphony So Sweet [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1622584
Comments: 8
Kudos: 46





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A quick thank you to everyone who commented on the first two installments to this series, WLS, Koa, and Rene for your unending support and the encouragement to continue on with this AU. And, thank you for waiting as I worked on this!
> 
> Key notes: Tags may be subjected to change in the future. I will warn in chapter notes if a tag does change between updates, that way you know what to expect. 
> 
> Additionally, here is some amazing art of the Son Twins in this au, to give you reference!  
> https://twitter.com/hizuillu/status/1257357717695598593?s=19
> 
> And the spotify playlist for this part of the series  
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2EGQyThXxyKnVVGfg32YKJ?si=cCavSoiHTGijKIl3Ayb4Hw
> 
> Now, onto the fic!

He would forever remember the sirens.

It had sounded like a wailing that echoed for miles - muffled from within the safety of the moving subway car. A warning of something just far enough to escape - something they wouldn’t have to face. He didn't know what it meant, but he noticed the shift in the adults around him. Teens previously focused on their cell phones were looked around, checking the faces of the other passengers just the same, and adults looked to each other for some sort of explanation. No one had answers, however.

A wave of whispers, questions of what was going on filled the car, and Yonghoon's mother pulled him carefully closer to her chest. 

"Passengers, please remain calm. Once we reach the platform please exit the train in an orderly fashion. I've been advised to encourage everyone to get to someplace safe immediately. Officers will be standing by to assist anyone who needs it." 

The announcement brought more fear to the crowded subway car - no one sure of what to expect when they pulled into the station. 

"Twitter is saying there's been some sort of attack?" A student shares, showing her phone to the girl next to her. 

A gentleman in a business suit nearby speaks out, "Don't believe those posts. They'll just cause more panic."

The girls scoffed and curled in closer to each other, whispering, "Shouldn't we be afraid if there has been an attack on the city?"

"What attack?"

"It's probably some psycho with a bunch of guns. Nothing you will need to worry about."

"I-I'm not so sure..." 

Yonghoon looked up to his mother, looking to her for some explanation to what the strangers were talking about. What any of this meant. "Mom, should we be scared?”

The worry in her brows softened and she cupped Yonghoon's cheek. "No baby. Don't you worry at all. There will be officers there to help. So, we just need to listen to them when we stop, okay?"

However, when the train pulled into the station and more voices spoke - far more panicked than comforted - Yonghoon clinged tighter to his mother’s skirt.

"Officers?"

"That's the military!"

The girls previously looking to their phones for answers looked back around their shoulders to see the line of soldiers staring at the incoming train. Just outside, and far louder now, the sirens continued to wail out in warning.

The doors opened slowly, and everyone weighted with bated breath. 

"Everyone! Please exit the cars immediately! Return to your homes! Anywhere you can find safety! Please do so in an orderly-" 

A howling scream erupted in the station - the voice of a woman terrified of something unknown to Yonghoon. She stumbled around in an attempt to get up to the exit as quickly as she could. It shook him to his core, as it did everyone else. Everyone watched, waited in silence but one of the soldiers who raised his weapon, “Ma’am! Ma’am you need to-”

"IT'S COMING!"

Still, the silence stayed - everyone held their breath until another scream came from a car further down the line. Chaos followed. Panic. 

Yonghoon had enough time to bring his hands to his ears and shield them from the now louder and more terrifying sounds of panic mixed with the baying sirens outside.

The people in the car, despite warning and guidance, were pushing to escape the car and their underground captivity. Like rats scurrying for the safety of the shadows, everyone stomped over each other to escape whatever was coming. 

"Mom.... What's happening?" He needed her to explain what was happening. All he could manage was a tremble with his ears covered. All he could do was look to her for some answers. Safety. His wide eyes and closeness revealed just how scared he was, and how much he was trying to hold it in.

His mother, seeing her son looking to her for any hint of bravery, carefully scooped him up to hold in her lap. She whispered, "I'm not sure, baby, but we are going to just stay here until there is some direction.. No sense in getting all worked up over a misunderstanding, right?" He trusted her, had no reason not too, and waited quietly in the safety of her embrace. 

The majority of the panicked crowd moved through the car quickly, and once given space to stand, Yonghoon was ushered back to his feet and stood next to his mother. She looked around them for the best means of escape. "Okay, Yonghoon... We are going to run. But, no matter what happens you do not let go of my hand, okay? No matter what," She firmly instructed. Yonghoon gave a quick little nod and squeezed her hand as tightly as he could. 

They waited a few more seconds, watching for a path to escape safely through. 

He spotted it then, looming in the shadows. It oozed from around the train out of the tunnels surrounding them on their left and right. A thick black tendril shot out from the oozing matter and wrapped itself like a thick tongue around one of the soldiers nearest it.

"Mom?!" Yonghoon questioned, terror returning to him and filling him with an energy to escape.

"Run," She said quickly and yanked him hard through the train doors.

"Yonghoon? Jin Yonghoon?" 

The weight of a hand pulls Yonghoon from his memories, allowing him a moment of relief from the flashbacks plaguing his entire trip, and giving him a second to ground. Like he’d been sitting on a button the whole trip - Yonghoon had been stuck replaying the day his childhood was torn from him the moment he’d sat down in the train. 

Before him stands two men in pristinely kept white and gold uniforms, decorated in ornate roping and pins hanging off their shoulders. Symbols of rank. The taller of the two was a dark brunette with his hair parted slightly off center, and his lips naturally curved up in a way that resembles a smug kitten - though this man carried an aura lacking any smug ego. The man held his hand out to Yonghoon and exclaims, "I'm Commander Youngjo. Here to escort you to the base." Still feeling heavy from his flashbacks and the long trip, Yonghoon doesn’t carry the same excitement when he shakes Youngjo's hand firmly. 

"Younghoon. That's me,” he mumbles, trying for a slight smile to ease some of the confusion he worries about bringing between them.

The second man stands behind Youngjo with no attention on either of them. He stands a head shorter than Youngjo, sports messy sandy hair, and dug a clawed nail in between short pointed canines. The man's eyes, looking anywhere but at Yonghoon, swirl with magic and glitter between a vibrant violet and gold. They are clean signs of power and old magic not unfamiliar to Yonghoon or Youngjo and expose exactly what he was. A demon.... 

Or, that's what the humans had settled on calling them. Beings of their kind were more eldritch in nature and showed no connections to the beings written about in old religious texts. They were something entirely different and entirely new, but no one could understand or put sense and understanding behind them. Even those contracted to the military and human forces didn’t give much of a better understanding of their kind. This one, being with Youngjo, must be the one contracted to the Commander. 

"This is Hwanwoong. He's my partner." Yonghoon hadn't noticed he had been staring until Youngjo spoke up. With a light chuckle - exposing his embarrassment in being caught - Yonghoon turns his attention back to the commander. Just barely in his view, Yonghoon can see Hwanwoong raise an eyebrow and glance from the corner of his eyes back at Yonghoon. 

“Don’t mind his grumpy face. He’s just tired and I suspect a little hungry,” Youngjo tries to excuse. 

“Very~” Hwanwoong purrs. Youngjo straightens up just a little bit.

Yonghoon raises his hands up in a mock defense and clears his throat before saying, “O-oh, no it’s okay. I was just… I’ve not seen anyone with eyes quite like yours. They’re very… purple?” Yonghoon knew that for some, their eye colour was something even in their shifted forms they couldn’t control. It was a big flashing sign that this person was not normal. 

Hwanwoong doesn’t speak up, or comment on Yonghoon’s observation. Instead the small demon gestures behind Yonghoon, bringing the man’s mind back to what was behind him.

Oh, yes! His things. He should collect his things. 

It feels awkward, almost rude, for him to have been so obviously staring now that his back was turned to the two other men. However, seemingly unaffected, Hwanwoong turns his focus back on digging out whatever was stuck between his teeth - his interest in Yonghoon clear. Nonexistent. Hwanwoong clearly wasn’t interested in Yonghoon or making any attempts to ease the tension between them.

Youngjo offers his hand out to Yonghoon to take one of the bags he was slinging over his shoulders and says, "Let me help with that!" If he had sensed any air of awkwardness, Youngjo's collected and warm expression never reveals a thing. "So, what are you looking forward to doing now that you're here?"

As Yonghoon hands over one of his bags to the Commander he grunts, "Would it be rude to say taking a nap rather than meeting everyone?" He gets a chuckle out of Youngjo, helping Yonghoon relax. "But truly, I'm ready to sink into my new bed and just settle in. I've got plenty of time now to learn about the area and the people, probably.”

"A nap definitely sounds doable," Youngjo offers, only to follow it with a slight wince and click of his tongue. "But, it might still be a long day ahead of you."

Yonghoon shrugs, weak and tired smile still not leaving his face. "As expected." 

The trio leave the train - led by Hwanwoong who has taken to bouncing slightly on his toes as he walks. It’s clear to Yonghoon that his eagerness to leave meant he would rather have been anywhere but there. 

Across the platform was a parked car with a suited man waiting just outside for the two to return with their new passenger. "How was your trip here?" Youngjo asks. Each time silence begins to settle between them, Youngjo was the first to speak up. It exposes how the man felt under the pressure and tension silence could bring. 

Yonghoon bumps one of his bags higher up on his shoulder while he thinks on his answer. It was a loaded question, considering the dazed state Younghoon had arrived in - along with still how he hadn’t been able to find his words without over thinking any of his responses. He sucks his teeth - thinking on how to answer without revealing unnecessary information for the others. As much as he wants to trust Youngjo on sight - how easy Youngjo makes the air around him feel welcome and safe - they have only just met. Anything really important Youngjo should already have a folder about, and anything else was unimportant as long as Yonghoon’s usefulness was still apparent.

"Um. Well, my day started several hours earlier than it usually does. So, while I spent most of the trip up here awake, it was definitely just-" he raises a hand and cuts through the air in front of them, "surface level." Perfect excuse to explain his foggy head.

"Ahh, that makes sense. You didn’t get much sleep on the trip up then either?"

"Not really. It wouldn't have been so bad if there had been something to look at at.. But you know, the remains of leveled and abandoned cities just doesn't do it for me," Yonghoon jokes lightly.

"Really?" Youngjo and Yonghoon stop talking to look toward Hwanwoong. The demon turns around to face them as he walks backwards towards the car. He smirks, eyes slitting for a half a second, and coyly added, "I always love looking at the rubble and wastelands." 

Any reply Yonghoon was expecting was lost to the shock of the demon's blunt addition. And, for a brief second, Yonghoon wonders if he'd been right in coming to the North. "Hwanwoong," Youngjo attempts to scold his companion, and Hwanwoong dons a sharp grin. “He’s joking. Of all the demons you’ll meet, Hwanwoong is one actually very serious about helping us restore humanity.” 

Without adding to Yongjo’s comment, Hwanwoong huffs, "Calm down Younghoon, I'm only teasing,” and then turns back around. "Did the demons in the south not know how to joke around? You've been seriously tense since you got here." 

Yonghoon cringes under the pointed question. If Hwanwoong’s not clearly teasing Yonghoon then he’s pouting, and all the while Youngjo just shrugs and waits for the moment he feels the need to explain something - and he’s still smiling. He’s not stopped smiling since Yonghoon first laid eyes on the man. But when Yonghoon looks too Youngjo this time, all the explanation he gets is a shrug and nervous chuckle. Yonghoon answers, "Uh.. sometimes they would joke around with everyone. Usually not so darkly, though. It just… took me by surprise is all. Not that I don’t understand dark humor.”

Hwanwoong lets out a drawn out sigh and both men can hear the roll of his eyes with it. "You're such a puppy. Like The Commander said earlier, don't worry about me. My teasing is about to be the least of your problems,” he comments before slipping quickly into the car they’ve approached. 

The driver comes around to Yonghoon and Youngjo and takes each bag from them. Youngjo enters the car after Hwanwoong, and with a comfort of being hidden from eyes outside, he sits right beside the demon. The back seat of the vehicle holds two rows of seats facing each other, allowing Youngjo and Hwanwoong to sit together and still hold a proper discussion with Yonghoon. 

Once the door is shut behind the three of them, Youngjo reaches into a pocket within the door and pulls out a manila folder. The prior comments made by Hwanwoong fell to the side with the folder - pleasantries and small talk aside, it was time for business. 

While Youngjo gives a brief look over the folder - surely collecting his thoughts and picking his next words carefully - Hwanwoong makes himself comfortable by getting as close as he can appropriately be to the Commander. The little demon slips himself under one of Youngjo's arms, letting it fall over his shoulder and surround him while he slides in against Youngjo's side. They sit together like this with comfortable ease, and Yonghoon assumes it to be a common display they share with how simply they fit in next to each other… Sharing a closeness that he was personally unfamiliar with.

The teams of humans and their demons in the south were close, much like a family, and something he regularly was exposed to. There were whispers of a few of the partners - Hongjoong and Wooyoung, Seonghwa and San - that were much closer and shared more than a battle worn comfort with each other. But, Yonghoon had never seen anything more than brief touches. 

What was truly shocking about Youngjo and Hwanwoong though was his expectations. Rumors of the teams from the Northern Territory was that they’re strict. Purely business. A ruthless military force with high expectations on the partnerships and how to protect humanity from the feral abominations. But this was intimate.. Close...Comfortable. A hint of feelings other than ‘Kill or be killed.’ He could see the trust they held for each other was more than he's ever experienced with anyone, let alone with one of the demons. 

Under Yonghoon's curious gaze, Youngjo shifts, however, makes no attempts to push the demon away. "So.. First things first. We will give you a tour of the grounds, show you the important parts of the compound before lunch. It'll give the General time to finish up any work - meetings," Youngjo waves his hand in front of himself, "loose ends - before we meet with him. After that I imagine you can get in your nap." Yonghoon perks up and smiles at the brief hint of a break. "Or you can use that time to do some exploring of the compound. Whatever you'd like. But, we probably won't introduce you to your assignment until this evening."

And, just as quickly as his smile had come, it fades. He grips tightly at the fabric of his slacks. The nap was a present desire, purely from the roughness of the trip. However, he’s spent the weeks knowing of his transfer with little information about his partner. "Youngjo, can you tell me... Anything about my charge? I've been teased with the knowledge that I'd have someone to work with by the time I arrived, but not once has any other information been shared. I don't even have a name." 

Youngjo pinches the corner of the folder in his lap and bends it. He avoids Yonghoon's gaze hard, chewing his cheek while he thinks of what words to say, no doubt. His silence allows Hwanwoong to speak up in his place, "How come you never made a contract with the companions in the south?"

"I don't understand what this has to do with my question?" Yonghoon quickly defends.

Hwanwoong pulls himself from the comfort of Youngjo's side and leans forward. "You couldn't form a connection with them, why?"

"I- Well.. I was better suited as a trainer."

"You don't have a problem with opening yourself up to trust us horrors, do you?" Hwanwoong accuses. His eyes never leave Yonghoon’s expression. They watch him - study his every twitch and glance away.

Could Yonghoon trust the demons that had pledged themselves to the humans and their cause? And, with their short time together, Yonghoon puts together how Hwanwoong had come to this conclusion that perhaps he couldn’t. So far their interactions with each other had been uncomfortable - in Yonghoon’s opinion anyway - and he had clearly been tiptoeing around Hwanwoong. From the moment they'd met in the train Hwanwoong had been testing him. The question was a fair one, but one Yonghoon now knew he’d been set up for.

But no. That wasn’t his problem. He straightens up, a weak attempt at making himself feel and seem less accused. "No. I have no problems with those of you who have come to our aid in this war. You have it much harder with having to prove yourself to the public, as well as our superiors."

"Then why?"

"I don't know why. I felt close to all the demons I worked with, but they all found companions with Commander Eden's recruits. I just.... never felt.." Yonghoon struggles to find the right words for it. He knew he was welcome and had a family with the Southern squads, but, being able to give himself up completely to another person.. To form a bond they all shared was difficult. 

Youngjo finally speaks up again, filling Yonghoon's silence while he tries to find his words. "We waited because we weren't 100% sure. We knew we needed the support and numbers, and you were available.. But we admittedly didn't have a full game plan. We do now,” he says firmly, really cementing the claim, “but we still need to get things in order. Should this change, we will still use you, Yonghoon. But trust us."

"It would be better at this point to just let you meet them in person." Hwanwoong's expression turns smug with his comment, and Yonghoon feels like he's being walked right into a trap that his curiosity can’t avoid. "It is interesting though, you remind me of Harin." 

Yonghoon jumps on the name, "Harin? Is that their name?"

Youngjo shakes his head to dismiss the question. "No. He was a trainer, kind of like you, and found more comfort in working with the human recruits. Mostly he helped with showing how to channel the demon's magic through our weapons." 

“Helped?”

“He’s found himself a partner to work with. So, training will now be limited.” Yonghoon deflates at the answer. 

In an attempt to change the subject, Yonghoon jumps on the comment about their gear. "That's right.. you guys have special gear.” The commander reaches to unsheath a blade laid out on the seat beside him. The sword dons two parallel blades engraved with runes Yonghoon was unfamiliar with. The hilt held a carefully molded gemstone that matched Hwanwoong's violet eyes in its design. 

Stories had been shared plenty in the South about the weapons Northern squads had access to. They were far more powerful than the regular weapons other territories worked with, and this was because they could channel magic through them. This was the only way humans could use magic, and Yonghoon had only ever heard stories about them. 

"You'll get your choice of your own once settled. And we have a variety of options. Seoho, one of the other officers, uses a rifle. Giwook, uses daggers. I use this souba." 

The idea of being exposed to magic that he himself could use, rather than just watching demons throw around their powers while their human partners worked with physical weapons, baffles Yonghoon. He reaches out to give the blade a careful brush of his fingers. In just this light ghosting of his fingers, Yonghoon can feel the magic pulsing and moving through the blade. 

Excitement thrums though Yonghoon then, his nerves outweighed by the knowledge that he was going to actually be using magic. 

They enter the compound through two massive gates, driving slowly toward the equally massive building within the walls. It was made of a white stone and all landscaping matched the feeling of pure, clean, and powerful the building displayed. The car pulls up to the entrance of the building where two uniformed teens stand at attention. Everything gives the imporession that there is a place for everything. A role for everyone in order to display this image of ‘perfect.’ 

When Yonghoon reaches for the car door to open it, it is instead opened by one of the uniformed boys. "Thank you," he says softly, unsure if it was appropriate for him to be doing so. But, no one corrects him. 

Hwanwoong hops out next. With a quick snap of his fingers and a point to the trunk of the car, both teens immediately begin gathering Yonghoon's luggage. "Take it to his room, and then go let the general know we've arrived home," Hwanwoong instructs in a firm no nonesense tone. Both bow their heads and shuffle towards the door with Yonghoon’s things. Just as they would listen to Youngjo, they listen to Hwanwoong - as if the demon was merely an extension of the Commander and someone who’s earned his ranking. No sass, no snark - just soldiers following orders. 

A little squeak of, "But.. I can take my things just fine," leaves Yonghoon. His offer is dismissed with the wave of Hwanwoong’s hand. Youngjo steps out of the car and places a firm hand onto Yonghoon's shoulder. 

"Don't worry about it - that's their job. Besides, they need something to keep them busy or else they get themselves into trouble," Youngjo explains. "C'mon, let's show you around."

The entrance of the building opens up to a grand hall with two branches off to the left and right at the end of the hall. The two branches make up the wide expanse of the whole building. Like everything else, Younghoon notices all decor displayed is in muted natural tones, golds, and white. It matches the white of the car, everyone’s uniforms, the building itself, and everything is kept in pristine condition. Along the walls portraits, framed documents, and awards of various kinds are on display for anyone visiting to view the accomplishments of the people within the compound. 

Younghoon is led to the back of the grand entrance to a set of double doors centered on the wall of the branching halls. The glass making up the door’s frame reveal lush greenery on the other side. "The main hall is just... Made to display various things. Down the left and right halls are offices, and... well.. dorm rooms. There's also a small library all the way at the end of the right. But this," Youngjo opened one of the doors, "is the courtyard, and the easiest way to get to any other buildings on the compound." 

The courtyard is square, easily two acres, and it separates the first building from a second, just as massive, building, and third smaller building. The courtyard is home to different blossoming fruit trees, bushes full of flowers, and various sections of perectly manicured grass. The sight was beautiful, and a place Yonghoon can see himself spending any of his free time in.

While Youngjo walks them through the paths, a movement in his peripherals catches Younghoon’s attention, drawing his eyes to a wall covered in climbing ivy. Sitting on a mostly secluded bench were two bodies: a man reading a book, and a younger teen sleeping with his head gently cradled in the reader's lap. The man uses his free hand to card through the curly hair of the teen while the teen clings to his thigh. The reader seems to pay them no mind as they stop to take in the display.

"The courtyard is open for everyone, but not many spend their time out here. It's not as fun as the gyms, or recruits are busy..." Youngjo trails off once he realizes Yongoon isn't paying any attention to his tour. "Oh, that's Hyungu and Giwook. They're one of the teams on our squad."

Yonghoon whips his head back to Youngjo and Hwanwoong. "The kid?!" His quick reaction spooks the Commander and Youngjo takes a step back - shirt clutched tightly between his fingers. A whispered 'Jesus' has Hwanwoong snorting back laughter, and Yonghoon reaches out for Youngjo. "Oh, I'm sorry!"

"N-no.. No you're fine! I.. hahaha," he holds his face in his hands a moment before pointing back at the two lounging. "Yeah. Giwook is still in school though, so he doesn't go on many missions." As he speaks, Hwanwoong rubs his hand in circles over the small of Youngjo's back. 

If the kid was in school then that would mean... "Hyungu is the demon?"

"Yeah. They are the team that was brought on about 5 or so years ago. They'd formed a bond without anyone knowing," explains Hwanwoong. Yonghoon remembers hearing about that in the South. An orphan child had been found being protected by a demon, and had been brought into the organization in order to keep them safe. Seeing them in person has Yonghoon’s mind reeling through questions - questions he’s not sure will really get answered. "They keep mostly to themselves, and Hyungu is extremely protective. So, don't get too upset if you don't see much of them." 

With a little wave forward, Youngjo continues his tour, leading them toward the second building. An unsettling creeping crawls up Yonghoon's spine as they walk away - he suspects Hyungu’s eyeing him up and down as they leave. Despite this, Yonghoon refrains from looking back. 

Life seeps out of the next building. Loud chatter inside escapes the building before they even open the doors, revealing the people inside. When the door opens out rolls the smells of food and sweat. 

"This building houses the cafeteria, since everyone stays on the compound... I mean, except necessary staff and the 5 special teams. So, everyone eats here," Youngjo explains as they walk through the doors. The building opens to another hall, but this one was a little shorter than the first building’s. "Down the left is the cafeteria," he gestures toward a set of open double doors that most of the talking could be heard from. "And, down this way are the classrooms and gyms."

The trio walk to the right and away from the cafeteria entrance. They show Yonghoon the inside of some of the gyms and classrooms on that side of the building. Classrooms are full of students, and the groups training in the gyms easily had twenty to thirty people in them. Each room is full like this as they progress down the hall.

"You guys have so many recruits,” Yonghoon points out. Far more than they ever had coming into the Southern Territories for training. 

Youngjo perked up at the observation and explained, "Yeah. A lot of the young recruits come here for basics before being sent to military compounds all over the territories. It gives us an idea of everyone available for further training, or offers to join future special teams." They continue the tour and take him out of the building at the exit down the hall. The door opens right up to a long range with targets lined up at the end of each row. Beside it is a small fenced off square where two people are sparring with one another - Yonghoon watches as they walk by. Just beyond the range is the third, smallest building. 

"Outside of the cafeteria, I don't expect you'll spend much time in there,” Youngjo gestures back to the second building, “And, you can go outside the compound for food as well, there are a few nice restaurants in the area. But, most of us just eat here since it's free." 

"Makes sense. I didn't leave the south compound unless on a mission for the same reason.”

The building opens immediately to a gym. A few closed doors line the walls of the open space, however, there is not much else outside the open gym in this building. Inside is a group of no more than 15 - including the three of them - standing around the foam mats on the ground. The three stop at the edge of the mats and watch as a trainer points out two of the trainees. One of them is easily as tall as Yonghoon himself and towers over the second trainee.

The brief squeal of a whistle sounds and everyone watching quiets down. The taller of the recruits charges immediately, running right for his opponent. A faint glow catches Yonghoon's eye, drawing his eyes to the recruits fist. The shorter of the two swiftly ducks to the side as the taller swings his glowing fist out and then slides a few feet away. They switch sides, flipping around to face each other once more, and that’s when Yonghoon can make out what was in the recruits hand - metal is wrapped over his knuckles and glows with a power Yonghoon had never witnessed before. The two leap back and forth at each other - fists and elbows swinging, legs kicking when they could. Yonghoon watches with the eyes of a trainer, watching for ways the two were holding back, seeing how closely matched they were. 

"C'mon. Harder!" encourages one of their trainers. 

The taller boy's face twists into a smirk, and that’s when Yonghoon saw things change. The two recruits went from light quick contact with each other to further distance and harder swings. Attempts to grapple either other. The glow around the taller trainees fist grows stronger the longer the two spar. And, as it does, Yonghoon can feel the magic heavy in the air. It feels like a hum of electricity… 

A few sprints toward the smaller, and the other recruit swipes his fist up from below. It doesn't come even close to the smaller recruit, however, the glow from his knuckles does. It moves like a wave of force and slams into the smaller recruits stomach knocking him off his balance. With speed the taller grapples the recruit, his arms snaking around his torso as he tackles the smaller to the floor. Once on the floor, the taller pushes his hips away from the other, twists their positions, and gets the other’s arm in a hold that bends it in a devastating arch. 

"I give! I give!" He shouts, slapping the mat before the taller boy can snap his arm. And then it’s over. The taller releases his hold and scoots a few feet away from the recovering recruit. 

"His name is Hyunsuk," Hwanwoong whispers with a little nudge to Yonghoon's side. Yonghoon looks down at the demon with awe written all over his face. He sparred with intent, and was not afraid of holding back simply because they were recruits. It was an important skill to have if he was looking to be a part of the special teams. "He's expected to join us next. We just need to find a suitable companion for him first." 

"He's spectacular," Yonghoon chuckles. 

Youngjo ushers them away from the sparring mat and toward one of the side rooms. "Alright, we have just one more room to show you, and then we should be good to go."

As he is led away, Yonghoon keeps his eyes on the next duo preparing for their turn. He watches as the other recruits nervously shuffle around before each of their turns to display what they'd been learning to their trainers. He was familiar with seeing that from the trainers side, and watching as boys and girls alike struggled to contain their nerves. 

Against the wall, a few feet away from all of the others un te room, stood another man. When Yonghoon notices him he’s staring right at Yonghoon with his arms crossed over his chest. How long had he been staring? Why was he still staring? Because even with Yonghoon noticing him now, the man didn’t take his eyes off the human. The stranger had tan skin and dirty blond hair that matches the golden hue of his eyes. A demon. And, by the looks of the rest of the people in the room, he was the only one there with the group sparring. Was he a trainer as well? Maybe the Harin demon Yonghoon had been previously told about?

A quick slap to Yonghoon's shoulder pulls his focus from the demon and to Hwanwoong who’s glaring up at him. "Quit lingering."

The next room is lined wall to wall in weapons and various other gear necessary for missions. Thick bags, boots, water bottles. It’s clearly enough for the compound’s teams to use out in the field, if not more than what they needed, and far more than what they’d used in the southern compound.

Against one of the walls hangs a large scoped rifle - a red ribbon is tied to the trigger and the grip is lined in small clear gems. No other gun in the room was as intricately displayed and created as the rifle, and it stands out like a sore thumb. Displayed below the rifle is a set of bladed gauntlets with clear gems also embedded into the metal of the glove. Crystals much like the gem on Youngjo's sword. 

"Is this where I can pick.. my.. special weapon?" Yonghoon asks, looking over the display of other gem lined weapons in the room. 

Youngjo nods before pointing at the rifle. "Yeah. The rifle and gauntlets are spoken for. But anything else in this room you can use. We will need to get you calibrated with using one, since you've never used one before, but that's for another day." Full of fascination, Yonghoon continues to walk down the wall and inspect each weapon that he passes. 

He haults his curious exploration when Youngjo reaches out and gives him a light pat on the back. "The General should be ready for us now."

"Yonghoon. Good to finally meet you!" They shake hands over the General's desk, both sharing comfortable smiles. His grip is firm, and by his handshake alone, he’s clearly confident and comfortable in the face of Yonghoon. Fitting for a General and just intimidating enough for Yonghoon to want to impress him already. The General takes his seat first and reaches over his desk to take a folder Youngjo offers out to him. "Eden has told me a lot about you. I hope you'll settle in nicely."

Yonghoon takes a seat next to Youngjo and nods quickly. "Ah, yes. I'm expecting to. Everything here seems pretty nice." It had been so far at least, despite Hwanwoong's continued efforts in teasing him that he was going to beg to leave again. 

"That's good to hear. I assume you've been given the grand tour?"

"Yes, Sir. We showed him around before coming," Youngjo says. He opens the folder on his desk as Youngjo speaks, only nodding to acknowledge that he was listening. 

Once he finishes skimming the first few pages, the General looks back up to both men. "Perfect. So. Yonghoon, thank you so much for agreeing to come up here. We need good men like you."

"Ah, thank you, Sir."

"I will make this brief, because I'm sure you'd like to get some rest in before this evening. But your assignment. We are going to assign you to two of our demons."

Wait, wait. Yonghoon tilts his head and then looks over at Youngjo. Looking at the Commander provides no explanation to the statement. "Excuse me, two?" Yonghoon questions, raising a finger to interject. 

However, while Yonghoon’s obvious confusion does not get the General to stop speaking, he does briefly explain. "They're going to be a good test for you. And if you do well, our goal is to promote you to a commanding position, like Youngjo, and give you a team to lead yourself. This will give us more opportunity for growth within the compound, you see?" The man stands up and begins pacing behind his desk as he speaks.

"Sir," Yonghoon tries again, speaking up a little louder this time. This works, and the General pauses long enough for him to raise his eyebrows and look down at Yonghoon expectantly. "U-uhm.. You said... two?"

Youngjo jumps in, turning his body to face Yonghoon more head on. "Yes. They are twins."

"That won't be a problem will it?" The General asks. 

Yonghoon worries his bottom lip between his teeth, mulling over the question. Why? It was his only real question. Everything else he could think to ask was merely an extension of the original question. So, he asks, " Why? You have that recruit - what was his name.."

"Hyunsuk," Hwanwoong chirps up for the first time since entering the office. When Yonghoon watches the General’s reaction to Hwanwoong’s interjection, it’s unexpected for him. The man shoots a glare at the demon, nose ever so slightly twitching as his lips form a thin line. 

Yonghoon is unable to tell if the General is going to snap, but before he can find out, speaks up and looks back to Hwanwoong. "Hyunsuk, thank you Hwanwoong.” He then turns back to the General. “ If there are two of them, can they not be split?"

"Do you not think you can handle two? Like I asked before, do you believe this will be a problem for you?”

Yonghoon pauses. He could handle them. He knew he could as he'd spent enough time with four demons and their wild humans to easily be able to manage a squad with two demons. But this still didn't answer his own question of why. "I can handle it, however Sir, if we are in need of numbers-"

The General raises his hand, interrupting Yonghoon. "You let me worry about numbers. The twins need extra attention, and separating them wouldn't be proactive for us or them. Eden gave me good faith that you could do this... So, let's try shall we?" Yonghoon sinks into his seat and gives a short confirming nod. "Good. Now. Like I was saying, the twins need a little extra attention. Once you three settle in and bring some good results on missions our hope is to name you Commander of your own squad. Until then though, you'll be reporting to Youngjo. Is that understood." Yonghoon nods again, refraining from asking any additional questions. "Good." 

SIlence falls over the office and the General goes back to flipping through his folder a couple more times. "It looks like all the paperwork has been sent over from the South, so we shouldn't need anything else from you for the time being. Go ahead and get settled in. You'll meet the twins this evening once they're finished with their current duties." 

No further questions would be answered at this point. Yonghoon bows his head in thanks, and follows Youngjo's lead in standing to leave the office. 

As he approaches the door, Hwanwoong holding it open for the two of them, the General speaks up once more. "Oh, Yonghoon. Thank you again for volunteering your service. I'm excited to see what you bring to us."

"Thank you, Sir. Anything for the good of mankind." 

All three drop their trays of food on the table, Youngjo and Hwanwoong on one side while Yonghoon sits across from them. He had settled on a sandwich - some kind of sickeningly sweet looking jam mashed with a white cream - a cup of fresh fruits, and a few bland looking crackers. Nothing too hearty, though there were options available to him. Hwanwoong had made a comment about how he didn't need to be shy about eating in front of them, to which yonghoon had laughed, but never fully responded. The nerves of his day so far had killed much of his appetite. 

Yonghoon wasn’t even a full bite into his sandwich before a hand claps over his back, pushing his large frame into the table. The hand is only removed once the body it belonged to settled into the seat next to him. "Hey! You're the new guy right?" 

The man sitting next to him drops his tray full of random food, and next to him sits another man with a very similar looking tray. "Y-yeah," Yonghoon coughs on his food and covers his mouth to finish his chewing. 

"Nice to meet you. I'm Seoho," The man introduces himself. Seoho has dyed red hair, dark brown eyes, a perky smile that told Yonghoon he wasn't afraid of strangers. Human. He gestures to the man behind him and leans backward to give Yonghoon a clearer view of him. "That's Keonhee. He's my buddy." Buddy...

Keonhee looks up from his plate of food and to Yonghoon. Vivid amber eyes stare at him, wide and glittering with magic and life. "Hi!" Keonhee hollors, bright smile revealing thick sharp fangs. Demon.

Yonghoon nods carefully and gives both men a little wave hello, before introducing himself. "Yonghoon.” 

"Yaaah, Keonhee, you're spilling jello all over your uniform," Hwanwoong calls from across the table. The demon quickly glances down at his front revealing nothing - not a single drop of the red food on his white jacket. "So easy," Hwanwoong follows up, earning a slap at the table in Hwanwoong's direction from Keonhee. "Ah! rude! I'm your Commanding officer!"

"Command this," Keonhee mutters in a pout, raising a fist with his middle finger up. The action is blocked by Seoho wrapping his hand around Keonhee's fist and hissing at him to behave. 

Across the table Hwanwoong snickers and turns his attention back to Youngjo. The little demon gives the Commander's tie a little tug and Youngjo returns to taking a small fork of food and offering it out in front of Hwanwoong, who in turn eats the food offered. 

This was the first glimpse Yonghoon has at the teams dynamic and how their little unit worked. Though they’re loud, and Hwanwoong could sound serious, Keonhee is easy to tease him back. And Youngjo and Seoho fit in with their partners so easily. It reminds him of the family he'd come from, sitting just barely in the circle, enough to know he was wanted, but not enough to feel like home. Yonghoon picks up his sandwich and moves it around, but never makes the effort to take another bite. 

"Geonhak, when did you get back?" Keonhee speaks up, pulling Yonghoon from his thoughts to see the man joining them.

Another tray of food drops on the table beside Youngjo and Hwanwoong. As he sits his eyes glance up at Yonghoon and he can see by how the new face avoids any direct eye contact how shy he was. The table is quiet for a moment while they wait for him to speak up. "Um.. A couple hours ago." 

Youngjo finally breaks his own silence as well and says, "I figured you'd be in bed."

Geonhak shakes his head and looks at Youngjo. It’s clear he’s comfortable with the Commander because he can look him in the eyes. "No, I slept in the car on the way in, so I'm good. Really just want to get moving. Sitting in that car for so long really got me out of shape."

"Harin didn't help you keep in shape? Oof-" Keonhee, cut off from his comment, groans and rubs at the spot in his ribs Seoho had elbowed him. "Whaaaat. It's like we don't know."

Geonhak's face turns a light shade of pink, and the already quiet man holds his tongue further. Keonhee on the other hand continues his comments, whispering them loud for the rest of the table to hear with the guise of only speaking to Seoho. "We can all see the hickey on his neck. Wh-" Seoho silently mouths something at the demon, interrupting his little show, and Keonhee hisses before stabbing his fork into his food. "Fine... Sorry, Geonhak." With his fork full of food, Keonhee stuffs his mouth and refrains from talking any further. 

So the demon he saw earlier… He couldn’t be Harin if Harin was just getting back with Geonhak...

Yonghoon clears his throat and waves at Geonhak, who was still red in the face across the table. "Hi, I'm Yonghoon. I'm told you formed a connection with a demon recently. Congrats." Geonhak worries his bottom lip between his teeth before nodding at Yonghoon. It’s easy for Yonghoon to tell that’s all he is going to get out of the man for now, and just smiles back. Patience will be best for this teammate. 

"So, you're from the South territory?" Seoho asks, and all eyes fall on Yonghoon waiting for his reply. Were they truly curious?

"Yeah, I feel like I'm going to miss it, but I'm sure I'll settle in nicely," He offers, feeling nervous about being the center of their attention. "I like your guy's trees. They're very... green." Before he can continue rambling about a pointless observation, not really sure how too small talk with these men, Yonghoon takes a large bite out of his sandwich. 

Seoho turns to face Yonghoon a little more directly and asks, "I heard that you guys are pretty brutal down there. Y'know.. Lots of internal fights, and you guys just obliterate targets." Yonghoon snorts, covering his mouth to refrain from blowing chunks of food across the table. It wasn't the question he expects, considering he has heard many similar stories about the teams in the North. The teams in the Capital are vicious being a very common view of the North. Seoho's lips turn down, raises his brows, and waves the question off with, "You don't have to laugh... Just don't answer."

"Seoho," Geonhak whispers.

Yonghoon quickly shakes his hands in front of himself, waving off the coughing fit he was fighting through. "N-no! I'm not laughing, just.. Ehm.. I'm surprised." Seoho, skeptical, looks back at him unamused. "I didn't realize that was the reputation we held. In fact, it's one we think of you guys with all your special tech and cool gear. But, the teams... Um... Eden's squad is full of reformed pirates. Or... They called themselves pirates. They were probably more like a band of mercenaries that were bored with the lack of work in the area. Joining the ranks gave them some status as well." And a free place to stay with a real bed. 

If he was going to be honest, Yonghoon could reveal that Eden's team was very skilled and knew how to hold their own in a mission.. But, they were also very lazy, and would often draw straws to determine who would be taking a mission at all. Even their commander participated if it meant he got to spend more time working on personal things. This attitude had gotten them into trouble pretty often, but every time they'd laugh the scolding off and return to their usual activities without worrying themselves.

Keonhee, mouth full of food, asks, "Who'd you get assigned too?" Hwanwoong chuckles, earning him a scolding pinch from Youngjo. 

Yonghoon takes a moment to remember the names, still unsure of who the two demons even were. "The Son twins?" 

Immediately Keonhee chokes on his mouthful of food... Or rather, spit it out and gasps for air as if he had choked. Highly dramatic. Either way, Seoho whips himself around, grabs Keonhee by the collar of his uniform, and begins railing into him about how disrespectful and uncalled for his reaction was. As loud and dramatic the two were, Yonghoon can still see the connection the two share in the way Keonhee snickers at the scolding, and in Seoho's restrained grip. 

"Seooho," Keonhee whines, and then gives the biggest pout Yonghoon had ever seen. And he'd watched San pout to Yunho to do his laundry for him. "Aah- ts.. You're so loud. My response wasn't that dramatic! They're going to chew him up and spit him out! Did the General give you the lowdown on what to do if they try to kill you?" Wait kill him?

"Speaking of," Hwanwoong hums with a look of delight spreading over his face, inturrupting Yonghoon’s train of thought. 

Yonghoon follows Hwanwoong's gaze across the cafeteria, over the heads of the sea of trainees all settling in to eat their lunches. His eyes initially fall on the pairing he'd seen from the courtyard - Hyungu and Giwook? But, they quickly lock on to a pair of familiar golden eyes. The demon from the sparring gym again was looking directly at Yonghoon - this time with another demon standing right beside him also sharing his line of sight. That demon was slightly taller, darker brown hair, and shared some facial similarities with the blond. 

"The shorter one is Dongmyeong, and the taller one is Dongju." Yonghoon brakes his gaze with the two demon's to look back at the table. Youngjo is nervously pushing at the food on his plate and avoided looking at Yonghoon. This wasn't how he had intended for them to meet... 

Yonghoon looks back over to the twins. Their attention had shifted from him to the human teen they were with. Giwook is quickly waving his hands out in front of him, gesturing for them to hurry up. Hyungu holds a tray of food in his hands - likely Giwook's food. "They're with the human kid?" 

"Oh yeah, Giwook?" Keonhee answers around his mouthful of food. "Everyone likes Giwook. He's a good kid.. And, the few that don't like him don't care to test the limits of Hyungu, so they just steer clear." 

The tense expression Yonghoon had shared with Dongmyeong twice by then, was melted away from Dongmyeong's expression as he spoke to Giwook. Their words are nothing but motions lost to the liveliness of the cafeteria, but read as playful and light. They don’t seem the dangerous type, but everything up to this point - Hwanwoong's earlier teasing in the car, his comment about being the least of his problems, Keonhee's blatant disregard for tact in his comment - was a warning to him that he wasn't about to walk into something easy. As easy as the two demons looked from afar. 

The four across the room leave the cafeteria together. Hyungu holds the tray of food in one hand, and has his other arm draped over Giwook's shoulder. They lead, and from behind them the twins stop their following to give one last look in Yonghoon's direction. From their distance it’s hard to read their expressions, but he can feel the air between them grow tense. And then they were gone, following the other two out to the courtyard.

"So, they seemed friendly," Yonghoon laughs. His smile is genuine, and the first now that he’s really shared with anyone in his new post. Though that’s obviously not how Youngjo had intended for Younghoon to meet the rest of the teams or his charges, Yonghoon wasn’t at all upset by the turn of events.

Youngjo sighs and offers a little half smile to the other man. He did not seem to be taking it as well. "I'm sorry you had to learn about them that way. I was hoping it would have been more controlled." 

"Why?" Yonghoon asks, finding now the perfect moment to ask. Why were his partners such a hush hush topic? And why was it such a shock he’d be paired up with them? Yonghooon felt the interaction also didn’t need an apology. He doesn’t get his answer right away - rather silence falls between the two as they walk and Youngjo tries to figure out the right things to say. 

After finishing their lunch, Youngjo had offered to walk Yonghoon to his room while Hwanwoong stuck around to continue bothering Keonhee. He'd been told countless times before now that they would meet formally later, and seeing them only makes him more eager for that moment. Even with the teasing comments from Keonhee. 

Youngjo brakes the silence once he finds the right words. "To be honest with you... Their last partner did die. It was a few years ago, and they've since been pulled from the field.. But their reputation of distrusting humans follows them. They're jaded." 

Oh...

Yonghoon keeps silent now - follows beside Youngjo while they walk as the weight of the Commander’s words sink in. Youngjo continues, "It's why we weren't entirely sure of who you'd be paired up with. But, we didn't have options either. No other territories are willing to sacrifice their safety for us to have numbers. I understand this, and don't fault them for it. And, you being without a partner gave us some options. That along with your background in training. We were hoping you'd be the fit they needed."

"And if I'm not?" Yonghoon finally speaks up. 

Youngjo mulls over his words again before explaining, "Don't let your guard down easily. And, please trust me. You'll be under my care, so I will not let anything happen to you. Any missions you three go on will be accompanied by another team until I'm absolutely sure you three will be safe together. And, if things don't work, I'll pull you off the team. You'll go back into training - which I know isn't what you came here for - but, I want you to know we have a back up plan in case things don't work out."

His words offer some protection and an attempt to comfort Yonghoon, but the weight of those words…. They’d been pulled from the field after their last partner died… They’d killed him… That’s what that meant. Otherwise they wouldn’t be a back up plan and pulled from the field for so long.

The secrecy leaves him without any proper preparations on how to approach the twins, and how to approach the understanding of who he was being paired up with. As much as he had previously wanted to earn their trust, he now holds the understanding that they need to earn his just as much. "This is why I won't be sharing anything with them just yet?"

"Correct."

Yonghoon sighs before speaking again. "Thank you, for being honest with me." The words hold some partial truth to them, but his tone reveals Yonghoon was reasonably frustrated by the outcome. 

"I'm sorry we didn't give you a proper explanation. But I'm serious as well. This isn't being done to hurt you, it's merely out of a need. But if it ends up hurting you I will change it. Immediately."

Youngjo stops in front of a numbered door - 0094. Again silence falls over the two of them. While Yonghoon tries to find the right things to say, Youngjo reaches for the door handle, unlocks it with a key he pulls from his uniform’s breast pocket. "This is you. I'll see you this evening." 

"Yeah."

He hands the key off to Yonghoon, gripping his hand firmly as the key is passed. An attempt at a physical, ‘I’m sorry,’ and some form of comfort. "If you need anything anyone can bring you to me." And with that the Commander leaves Yonghoon alone. 

Stacked in a neat pile next to his bed sits Yonghoon's bags. A desk sat on the wall adjacent to his bed, clear of any papers or supplies. Closer to the door and front of the room is an offshoot bathroom and closet. It was a snug fit, but also not the worst place Yonghoon’s lived in. 

"Well, buddy... Guess this is home."

He teases the idea of putting his things away, thinking it could make it easier for him down the long road. However, as he steps closer to his bed his worries, stress, and exhaustion weighs him down further - all of it makes a nap seem much more appealing than putting his things away. Sinking into bed, Yonghoon slips into sleep far easier than he expects - the exhaustion trumping any of his usual troubles. He'll unpack later...

"Yonghoon." His name follows a series of knocks at his door, pulling him from his sleep. 

Slipping from his bed, he hurries to his door - wondering how long he'd slept exactly. The knocking repeats again as he opens the door, and he stumbles against the frame, rubbing the sleep from his face. Just outside stands Hwanwoong, waiting with a smile on his face as he takes in Yonghoon's slightly disheveled appearance.

"Oh good, you're awake. Go pat down your hair real quick, and then I'll take you to meet them." Them…

Yonghoon quickly twists around to get a look at himself through his mirror, runs his fingers through his tangled hair, and tries making some sense of the slight mess it was. Outside of that, he has no idea what else to do to prepare. He wasn't expecting to sleep as long as he had. 

When he returns to Hwanwoong's side, slightly more put together, the demon grins. “You look great,” He is teased, and Yonghoon blushes. 

"Anything you think I should know? To prepare?" 

Hwanwoong shrugs, only offering that as his answer at first. However, as they progress down the hall towards the offices he says, "Trust Youngjo."

Once they reach the door to Youngjo's office, Yonghoon is trembling. Was it anxiety? Uncertainty? Fear? In the end it doesn't change the fact that he can hear his heart pounding in his ears. His future was waiting on the other side of that door. 

When they enter the room, Yonghoon's eyes fall immediately on them.

"Thank you, Hwanwoong," Youngjo says when they enter the room. He smiles fondly at his partner from behind his desk and Hwanwoong skips over to the loveseat near the window in Youngjo's office. "And thank you, Yonghoon." Yonghoon steps forward as his name is said. Sitting in the two chairs in front of Youngjo's desk are the twins - both with their backs to Yonghoon as he comes closer. From where he stands, it feels as if neither are giving him a second thought.

"Dongmyeong, Dongju," Youngjo gestures to each twin as he gives their names, and then to Yonghoon, "Yonghoon." That's when they finally look at him.

Up close Yonghoon can see more details of the twins and how different their features were - and they were so different. Their expressions are different first off. Dongju stares at Yonghoon with… a sadness. He looks tired, exhaustion clear on his face. And he can't look Yonghoon in the eyes. Dongmyeong on the other hand has no hesitation in staring Yonghoon down. He'd already done it twice today, and now, up close was no different. 

Additionally, Dongju's eyes are a vibrant emerald with a golden ring in the center of his iris that matches the gold of Dongmyeong's eyes. And in reflection, the ring around Dongmyeong's gold eyes were a matching green to Dongju's. With those eyes boring into him, Yonghoon feels he's on display for an unamused audience of critics. It's clear they don't want him there...

Not wanting to cause any further tension between them in their first meeting, Yonghoon simply nods to each one of them. Then they both turn their attention back to Youngjo. 

"Now, I hope you three can work together," Youngjo starts only to be cut off with a scoff from Dongmyeong.

"Not likely," he hisses. And it hurts. Yonghoon's not sure why exactly it does. It could be the hope he's been building up… Could be the excitement he's been carrying about having partners for the first time...

Behind them, Hwanwoong clears his throat, and Yonghoon watches as Dongmyeong briefly tenses, looking down at the ground instead of at Youngjo. 

"Listen, I would appreciate everyone's cooperation in this. All three of you have had the situation explained countless times now. We need the numbers more than ever," Youngjo's firm - a new tone in his voice. "No field missions to start you off. This is for you, Yonghoon. You still haven't been given a weapon yet, nor do you know how to use the magic in them. You'll need to be trained on that, and that will give all three of you some time to find a common ground to work with each other on.

"Once this is established, and you're ready, you'll be sent on supervised missions. Support will be provided for everyone in order to ensure a successful result. And no one," Youngjo looks sternly between the twins, "will be coming back in body bags. If you can accomplish this then you'll be sent on missions on your own." 

"Understood," Yonghoon says. The twins do not humor the same sentiment and remain silent.

"Dongju, Dongmyeong... Please give this a genuine try. If it's not a good fit I'll find someone else. But for now, I need you to support each other. All three of you." 

Dongmyeong speaks up again, "Start looking now. That way you won't waste any of the organization's precious time." 

Yonghoon quickly jumps up in his defense then, "I don't know you both, but you also don't know me. Please, give me a shot. We could be a great team." But all he gets back is an annoyed sigh from Dongmyeong. Dongju, though, spares Yonghoon another sad look and keeps his eyes on the floor.

Hwanwoong interjects himself into the conversation then, coming around from behind them to take a seat on top of Youngjo's desk. He tilts his head while looking between the twins. "If Yonghoon ends up dead I won't need to explain to either of you the consequences to that turn of events." Both demons shift and shrink slowly into their chairs under Hwanwoongs stern gaze. "You're attitude reflects all of us, and you may not want to be here, but I do." 

Silence falls over the group, Dongmyeong no longer responds with any quick quips. Now, meeting them this way, Yonghoon no longer feels the excitement he once had. He doesn't know what he was expecting, but facing them was something else. Though he'd been warned of their attitude towards others, he still had some hopes that their meeting would at least spark an understanding between them. Instead he has been met with walls tightly built around the twin's vulnerabilities, including any emotion reflecting agreement. 

"That'll be all for now. Tomorrow you'll begin your training. You'll pick your weapon as well." At least now he has something to look forward to, since this meeting only crushed his hopes in his transfer. "You're dismissed." 

The twins are the first to leave - quick on their feet and out the door hand in hand. Being left alone again with the Commander and his partner, Yonghoon lets out a sigh.

"You can do this Yonghoon," Hwanwoong cheers him on. Yonghoon smiles at both of them, feeling far more broken down than he had before. He doesn't linger any longer and leaves to return to his room ready for another nap.

"As stressful as that was, you did a fine job," Hwanwoong praises Youngjo. With a gentle caress of his hand to Youngjo’s cheek, the Commander looks up to Hwanwoong, baring all his worries out in his eyes. "I'm very proud."


	2. Chapter 2

It’s the sun that wakes him first - warm rays moving through the slitted curtains across his face as the sun peaks over the compound walls. When the rays reach his eyes, he wakes up slowly, blinking away sleep as the fuzz of his dreams still linger in his mind. Though he’d slept through the night, none of it felt restful - his body still feeling the weight of exhaustion in it. Nightmares, no doubt stemming from the stress of his previous day, plagued his sleep. Awake he recognizes they were just dreams, but in the midst of it, everything felt too real. The anxiety and fear had been much too real.

He’d not had nightmares like those in years. Being in that train had brought things up Yonghoon expected to have put long behind him. However, now facing images of his mother being ripped from his arms, dragged off and never seen again, or turned into a monster that wanted to eat him, Yonghoon was regretting not taking the offer of a car.

All his nightmares were skewed images - things his brain changed to process his stress. However, in those moments, experiencing that fear and pain everytime something tried grabbing him, or his mother called out for him, only to have her form slough away to reveal a beast oozing at him while his feet lock to the floor - it all made sleeping more exhausting than just suffering through a night awake.

As he gradually wakes up, Yonghoon rolls himself over to face the wall next to his bed - sun avoided. Just because he was awake doesn’t mean he had to get up just yet. A lingering of the exhaustion has him hoping maybe he can get in a few more minutes of sleep.

Idle chatter in the hall just outside his room filters its way through his door. So, although the sun shining on the back of his head is no longer a problem, the chatter is just enough to keep him awake. None of it is words he can make out - just chatter loud enough to clear his brain’s fog and dash his hopes of sleeping in. With a light huff, Yonghoon rolls back over and sits up in the bed - committing to starting his morning.

He cleans himself up quickly - brushing his teeth, forcing strays in his hair down, uniform on and pristine - and stands in view of the long mirror in his room. This uniform is slightly different from the one he’d grown familiar with in his previous posting. Its white fabric stuck out. Felt far too clean for him to be wearing in the position he held. Surely it will cling to the red of blood on the battlefield…. However, its pure whiteness fit in with the clean look the compound carried. Everything was just as clean as their pure white uniforms.

Just outside his room, Seoho walks down the hall, eyes hard focused on the tray of excessive amounts of food he’s carrying. “Early morning?” Yonghoon questions as he steps out of his room. Seoho flinches, takes a small step back, and squints at Yonghoon. The two share eye contact for several seconds before it seems Seoho’s body catches up with who he was seeing. 

“Ah.. Yonghoon, right?” Yonghoon nods. “Yeah, Keonhee and I are leaving earlier that usual today. So… Gotta bring the glutton his food,” Seoho explains, raising the tray he held. Explains why there was enough there for two. Maybe even three?

“A mission?” 

“Yeah. So, we may not see each other for a couple days. But, Harin and Geonhak are around. And the commander.” Seoho yawns, head rocking back slightly. He’s barely awake, and were it not for a mission, Yonghoon suspects Seoho would still be snuggled in his bed - much like Yonghoon wants to do him. “Do you need to be pointed somewhere?”

He doesn’t, he remembers exactly where Youngjo’s office is, but Yonghoon senses Seoho was looking for a quick way out to return to Keonhee. So, the taller man chuckles - tone slighted to sound nervous and embarrassed. “Y-yeah, actually. Was it that obvious?” He asks, hoping it would give them both the means to escape their conversation. 

If Seoho sees through his grin he doesn’t say anything. “The commander’s office is all the way down this hall.” He gestures with the tray down the way he had just come from, and Yonghoon points in the same direction. He turns to walk backwards, confirming the direction with Seoho. “His name’s on the door, so you can’t miss it.” 

“Thank you,” Yonghoon says in parting, briskly walking towards Youngjo’s office. 

The ‘Commander Kim Youngjo’ placard sits in the center of the dark wood. Hard to miss, even if Yonghoon had truly forgotten where the man’s office was. Before entering he gives the door a couple hard knocks and waits to hear Youngjo yell out, “Come in.” 

“Yonghoon, good morning,” Youngjo greets upon his entrance with a big smile on his face. Not a hint of sleep was present on his expression. It directly conflicts with the heavy bags under Hwanwoong’s eyes - the demon sits curled up on a cushion of the small couch in Youngjo’s office. When Yonghoon looks at him, Hwanwoong is still blinking slowly and nodding off. Youngjo, on the other hand, stands up and walks around his desk to slap a hand on Yonghoon's back. “How was your first night?”

  
“Not bad,” Yonghoon lies easily, quickly relaxing under Youngjo’s bright energy. 

It was clear, just in their short time together so far, why he’d been picked to lead a team. Youngjo is always smiling, making him seem completely relaxed under the pressures of the job - which Yonghoon is sure there was no shortage of. But still, here he was, up and awake far earlier than Yonghoon and eager to take on the day.

“Good to hear. Good to hear. You’re here earlier than I was expecting, but that’s totally fine. Don’t let me make you feel like there’s ever a time when being too early will be a problem,” he jokes, and Hwanwoong groans from his place curled up across the room. “He’s not a morning person,” Youngjo explains before continuing, “Will you need some breakfast or anything?”

“Depends. You mentioned something about the gym yesterday?”

Youngjo turns back to his desk and quickly shuffles through a few of the folders on the surface. He’s looking for something. Yonghoon doesn’t expect it to be a calendar. “Yyyyes,” Youngjo draws out, eyeing over the blocked out squares. “But, like I said you’re early. So, breakfast? And you should get changed into something you can work out in.” 

“So, change clothes and eat, then I can go to the gym?”

Youngjo nods. “Please. You need to take care of yourself, which means food, and I need to go make sure the twins are even awake.” Aaah…. 

Yonghoon quickly glances over at Hwanwoong. He’s not sure what he expects from the demon - a snarky comment perhaps - but he just looks back at Yonghoon as if he is looking right through him. He really wasn’t a morning person. 

“Okay.. Then, I’ll get to it.” He steps away, finding not much else to add. If Youngjo wants him fed and changed, then that’s what he will do.

Youngjo leaves him with a quick, “I’ll have Hwanwoong get you when we’ve gotten the twins up,” and then returns to sitting down properly at his desk. 

When alone, Yonghoon finds himself lingering far too long on his thoughts. While he changes he pulls on the tshirt loosely hanging on him with the hopes it’ll cover some of the bruises on his arms. Dressed so comfortably left Yonghoon to face insecurities. In a uniform he was someone to look out for. Someone to look up too. He was there for a purpose. But in sweats rolled up due to them being too short for his long legs, and struggling to hide sparring marks, he felt exposed. Like just another kid scrambling to get ahold of himself. 

He was - scrambling that is. A new place, all new faces. And the few people that had spoken to him so far were all put together. He felt out of place. Eating his breakfast alone only cemented that feeling.

Although he didn’t feel like he was really part of the family with the Southern compound, he always had someone talking to him, sitting next to him, asking to eat some of his left overs. there was always someone there. And now, even with all the trainees and recruits this compound had, Yonghoon was alone.

A hand slapping the middle of his back - leaving him yelping and scrambling to hang on to his sandwich. “Hey big fellow, finish up,” Hwanwoong chimes, leaning over Yonghoon’s shoulder and looking at his choice of food. He’s so close Yonghoon can feel the heat of the demon’s skin on his back.

Red burns at the tips of his ears as he quickly stuffs the remaining food in his mouth. Hwanwoong remains in his place, so hot against his back, and chuckles when Yonghoon chokes on the food he tries swallowing. “You could’ve eaten it on the walk over,” Hwanwoong teases, and finally steps back. Yonghoon sucks in a deep breath through his nose, finally breathing right, and then swallows the rest of his food. 

“Get your hands up right! C’mon! If you end up with another black eye that’s your own fault for not blocking properly.”

Hwanwoong leads Yonghoon right up to the shouting trainer - a man with thick black hair and dark emerald eyes. His ears are pointed at the tips, and canines suspiciously sharp for something human. 

“Harin. Here’s Yonghoon,” Hwanwoong grins, pointing back at Yonghoon. He stands up a little straighter as the demon’s eyes wander all over him. “Did the twins already show up?”

Harin jams a thumb over his shoulder to one of the rooms attached to the main gym. “They’re waiting.”

“Wait here,” Hwanwoong instructs, and then promptly leaves Yonghoon alone with Harin. 

Yonghoon twists his heel into the soft foam mat floor, eyes falling to watch his fidgeting. 

Harin speaks up first. “So, you were the trainer in the Southern Compound?”

Yonghoon perks up. “O-one of them, yeah. It was the best place to put me since I couldn’t safely go out on the field.”

“I get that. Before forming a contract with Geonhak, the only experience I had was from being on the other side. Though that was minimal as well.”

“You seem to be doing a good job, even with little experience.”

“Haven’t had a recruit die yet. The ones with potential pick up on things before I get to teaching them though, so- Hey! Hey! Giwook, he’s tapped out! Let him go!” Harin steps away to go scold the two boys grappling each other on the floor several feet away. 

Hwanwoong returns, both twins walking behind him, and stops next to Yonghoon. He yawns and then points back to the twins. “You got your eyes on them?” Hwanwoong asks, and Yonghoon looks up to the two of them. Both stare at him blankly, and Yonghoon can only manage a slow nod in response. Hwanwoog slaps his shoulder and then leaves with a quick, “Cool. I’m gonna take a quick power nap.”

Harin returns, a big grin on his face when he looks at the twins. “Alright gentlemen. Are you ready to get a feel for each other?”

The twin’s silence is far more intimidating than their snarkiness the evening prior. Neither take their eyes off Yonghoon. Like two dogs, waiting for Yonghoon to avert his gaze first - submitting to them. He does - finding it uncomfortable to continue looking between them in silence. He turns to Harin and clears his throat, “Ehm… yeah. I’m ready.”

“Good to hear it. You’ll face them one on one for now. No sense in totally tossing you in the wolves den,” Harin jokes, leaving them with a moment of laughter and a light jab of his elbow into Dongmyeong’s shoulder. The golden eyed demon smirks - Yonghoon’s heart drops to his feet. 

“I’ll go first,” Dongmyeong declares, running his fingers through his hair. It’s the first time his eyes leave Yonghoon as he turns to walk out further on the mat. 

Yonghoon follows, looking out at the other groups paired off sparring and running through drills with each other. 

“Now, I’ve not let you stretch, so take it easy. But also, don’t be afraid to hold back either,” Harin explains. 

The two step toward each other to give their hands a quick tap, understanding once they step back they’ll be ready to attack. With a quick slide back, Yonghoon raises his fists up in a guard and he begins stepping to the side. 

It’s slow at first, just the two circling each other while they take in each other’s stances and think over potential moves. Dongmyeong takes the first shot, bouncing on his toes toward Yonghoon and throwing a few jabs at his guard. He is steady, along with his guard, and steps back a few paces until Dongmyeong’s quick jabs pull back. 

Yonghoon can feel that he’s holding back - testing how yonghoon will react to the first few hits before really showing any of his real attempts to hit Yonghoon with strength. And, just the same, Yonghoon holds himself back, waiting to see if Dongmyeong will break first and show himself.

They slide around in a tight circle around each other, both holding back from another move. And that lack of another attack itches. Someone needs to make a move. While he’d intended to see Dongmyeong cave first, he sees Dongmyeong has patience, just as long as himself. 

“Fucking hit him,” Dongju snaps from the sidelines. Yonghoon needs to make an attack. 

He stops in their circle and lunges at Dongmyeong, tossing a quick punch down at the demon. Dongmyeong takes the punch to his shoulder, stumbles back, and then steadies himself. No attempts to dodge, which Yonghoon had been expecting. Too easy...

They move, both lunging toward each other in time. Now they move, fists swinging and forearms knocking against wrists to deflect and push the blows away from themselves. It’s fast, but still somewhat restrained. Dongmyeong builds a pattern, two punches, quick right hook attempt. Two punches quick left hook. Two punches and a quick right hook. It’s easy for Yonghoon to prepare for the left hook after the next two punches, But it never comes. Instead, Dongmyeong takes a quick step back, and faster than Yonghoon can defend properly for, Dongmyeong twists and swings his leg up and around to the side of Yonghoon’s head. 

He defends it weakly with his arm, but the force still knocks Yonghoon off his feet. Another kick comes to his chest, and yonghoon is sent tumbling backward with the wind knocked out of him.

Legs straddle him in his dazed moment, and he weakly squirms as Dongmyeong lifts him by his shirt. It’s just enough for him to snake his arm around the back of Yonghoon’s head before he flips them both on their sides. Yonghoon pushes at Dongmyeong’s chest - the demon gets his hand up around his neck with ease and tightens the hold by grabbing his forearm and locking his arms. As Yonghoon scrambles back, trying to get out of the hold, Dongmyeong curls tighter in on himself, leaving Yonghoons head completely surrounded by the demon’s body as he’s choked. 

“Okay!” Yonghoon can hear Harin shouting as his vision blurs. And then he’s freed. Blood rushes back to his head while he lays out on the floor.

His partner stands up, dusts his hands off and returns to his twin’s side. Harin crouches down and hands Yonghoon a bottle of water. It urges Yonghoon to sit up as he gathers himself. The cool drink gives him one more brief moment of dizziness, but then he sits safely. 

“You wanna try harder than that?” Harin teases, grinning proudly at Yonghoon. 

“I didn’t think he was gonna try and take me down.” Dongmyeong scoffs, seemingly unimpressed despite his own heavy breathing.

“Sounds like you read him wrong then. That’s good. A lot for you to learn then.” He looks over to the twins, and Yonghoon follows the gaze. Dongju is fidgeting. Eager. “You ready?” Harin asks, taking the bottle of water from Yonghoon. 

"My turn," Dongju snaps, walking out on the mat. Though he’s declared his readiness, Yonghoon continues to take a few heavy breaths before standing back up. His throat burns and ribs ache leaving him with no doubts that he will be bruised later. 

Dongju raises his hands, fingers open and out like claws ready to swipe and sink into flesh. Yonghoon looks long and hard at his fingers, confirming that Donju doesn’t have claws, despite his stance. Nothing sharp stares back.

He takes his stance across from Dongju, waiting quietly. Until Dongmyeong, taking things almost by the book, Dongju doesn’t bother giving him a spartmans tap. Just waits for his signal. 

“Start,” Harin says, and both men watch each other for a few very long seconds. Each waiting for the other to make the first move. 

When Yonghoon doesn’t, Dongju growls and takes the first step. He runs head on at Yonghoon - it allows him to swiftly step back and avoid Dongju’s initial attack. 

He’s not as graceful as his brother, and a whole lot less patient. 

Both step in a circle around each other, Yonghoon turning his back to Harin and Dongmyeong to keep his eyes on Dongju completely. And, unlike Yonghoon, Dongju’s not looking directly at him. He watches the demon’s eyes flick from him to behind him, splitting his focus in two.

With his attention diverted, Yonghoon closes the distance with a quick step forward and a wide kick to Dongju’s side. It’s clear he catches Dongju off guard, as he braces himself, rather than defending with a guard. And when Yonghoon’s foot makes contact, Dongju makes his move - catches Yonghoon’s ankle in his fist, and then ducks down, hiking Yonghoon’s leg up onto his shoulder. From the crouch, Dongju launches himself at Yonghoon, forcing his feet out from under the human and knocking him to the ground.

Panicked, not wanting to be grappled again, Yonghoon reaches across his chest to grab Dongju’s opposite shoulder, tucks his knees up, and pushes his hips off the ground. With the grip on his shirt, Yonghoon tosses Dongju up over his head and down onto the demon’s back.

Following the momentum, Yonghoon flips himself as well and straddles Dongju’s chest. 

“Dongmyeong, wait!” 

Yonghoon shoots a quick glance over his shoulder, only to find his cheek bumping against warmth. An arm wraps quickly around Yonghoon’s throat, and Dongmyeong drops his weight, yanking Yonghoon backward by his neck. 

“Dongmyeong, enough!” Harin shouts again.

Yonghoon flexes, only to feel Dongmyeong give a warning squeeze around his neck. So, he holds still. Understands the situation he’s been placed in. Dongju wiggles out from under Yonghoon and scrambles back toward the edge of the mat. It leaves Dongmyeong and Yonghoon on their own, neither making a move.

Under his breath, Yonghoon hisses, “I get the message.”

“Do you?” Dongmyeong growls. No part of the sound is human, and Yonghoon is again reminded of his situation. Trapped between a rock and a hard place, except the rock is a demon baring fangs at him and the hard place is embarrassment if he were to give up.

“You seem to think I don’t, so why not explain it to me?” 

“Don’t touch my b-” Yonghoon cuts Dongmyeong off with a swift and sharp jab of his elbow into his ribs.

Caught off guard by Yonghoon's complacency, Dongmyeong releases the man and cradles his ribs while curling in on himself. He coughs heavily as Yonghoon crawls away.

For a moment, Yonghoon thinks he's made his point and gotten away from the twin's assault. It only gets worse when he hears someone snapping again - Harin he believes - before his face is shoved into the mat and body pinned down. Leaning down into his ear, a low growl fills his ears and he gets a glimpse of fangs bared at him. Fingers curl around the back of his neck, squeezing tightly. "Don't tou-"

The snarl is cut off as Dongju is tackled by the other recruits and held to the floor by his arms and legs. Yonghoon flips around, again looking for Dongmyeong and praying he won't be met with another surprise attack. Instead he gets a look at Dongju, spitting and gnashing teeth at the recruits holding him back. His eyes hold barely any stability, the emerald swirling into gold as his body strains against the magic he's holding back in using against Yonghoon.

Yonghoon feels terror for a moment. His strength is incredible, and nearly untethered. Nothing like the demon's he's worked with before. Nothing so close to rabid... This level of unhinged would be a danger to the humans they worked with, and Yonghoon sees another glimpse of just what he has been signed up for. 

Words echo in his mind. _"They'll kill you..."_ They very well could...

"You - fuck - wanna help here?" one of the recruits, Yonghoon now recognizes as Giwook, shouts at Dongmyeong. 

Harin holds Dongmyeong back with merely a hand on his shoulder, and Dongmyeong looks right at Yonghoon, still cradling his ribs. He was not going to attack - There's something in the way he looks at Yonghoon, for once it's not malice... but concern... Not for Yonghoon, he suspects, but Yonghoon is unsure for what. Dongmyeong has realized something.

The twin crawls forward to Dongju and places his hands on his brother's face, holding his head still as he squirms. The presence of his brother calms Dongju, and the demon stops fighting the hands on him and instead tilts his head back to look better at Dongmyeong. "Calm down," Dongmyeong whispers, and Dongju closes his eyes. There is a trembling in his limbs as he breathes slow and deep, calming himself down.

Once his tremors stop, the other recruits release the demon, and all scoot away to give them space. Harin takes their place crouched down beside Dongju and Dongmeong and gives Dongju's stomach a light pat. 

He sighs before saying, "Now that you've got that out of your system, why don't you go take a lap or two. You've made your point." Dongju doesn't dare look directly at the other demon, and instead looks at the knees of the recruits sitting by quietly - all waiting for any signs of another outburst. 

When Harin stands up Dongju sits upright and then slowly gets to his feet. His ears are red at the tips and he chews on his lip. And not once does he look at anyone directly before taking his leave from the gym. 

Harin offers a hand to Yonghoon next and Yonghoon takes it firmly. He stands easily and brushes his clothes off, side eyeing the demon still kneeling down on the floor. “Okay… So.. You both have a short fuse for each other.”

“Dongju’s is even shorter,” Dongmyeong explains, though that much has become very obvious to him now. 

“Yeah.. Gathered that.” 

Harin asks, “You okay?"

“Yeah just… Processing I think…" Yonghoon looks down at Dongmyeong, who is now looking at him with a glare. "Do you guys attack the monsters out there like that?”

“We work well together, if that’s what you mean," Dongmyeong spits.

Defensive of his brother's actions, Yonghoon opts to not press further, and instead decides on complimenting the two of them. Despite how terrified he was of their power. “Yeah, that's what I meant. It was overwhelming for a moment, and I didn’t think to look out for you until Dongju’s tackle.. That’s a good tactic, really impressive and a great skill.”

Dongmyeong avoids looking at Yonghoon a moment, eyes falling anywhere but on the human. 

Harin dismisses the other recruits now that the moment has been deescalated, and then nods at Dongmyeong, “Do you… wanna try again?”

“How about we give Yonghoon a breather,” Hwanwoong speaks up. Yonghoon jumps - remembering his presence only now. "Since it looks like I'm not getting a nap, I want to take you to pick out your weapon. Give Dongmyeong a second to calm down as well.”

Hwanwoong flicks on the light, showing Yonghoon the weapons room. Like before, his eyes fall naturally to the place the rifle sat, however, it is missing from its place displayed up on the wall. He looks to Hwanwoong, who doesn't seem to notice the rifle is gone, or doesn't care. Behind the both of them Dongmyeong enters in the room behind them. 

“So, some items are spoken for," Hwanwoong begins to explain, gesturing at the rifle's location. "The rifle, for example, is Seoho’s. It's his baby, so.. just don’t touch it. He will likely take your hands off. The gauntlets are Geonhak's." Yonghoon remembers Seoho's words earlier that morning. They were going on a mission. So, that's where the rifle had gone too. 

Hwanwoong continues, "But, anything else that you see, like if you'd like a rifle as well, we can get you one made. It’ll just take some time. Or if there is something already here we can just get you set up with it today." 

Yonghoon walks himself around the room again, once more looking at the weapons on display. He stops at a set of knuckles - the ones he'd seen the recruit use yesterday. “These aren’t like the weapons the other territories have,” and this much has been obvious since Youngjo showed his sword to the man previously.

“You’re correct," Dongmyeong finally speaks up. He stands far from Yonghoon and watches him as usual. 

Yonghoon drops his gaze back down to the knuckles and traces the stones embedded into the top of the metal. “That trainee yesterday, it looked like he could use magic with them."

"It’s a kind of magic,” Hwanwoong places his hands on the glass lid of a display table and lifts himself up to sit on top of it. “Since you humans can’t use magic - a fickle thing really - some of you have figured out a way to harness some of our magic, and put it in these weapons. So, you can use a charge of our power. Dongmyeong and Dongju help us make the stones in the weapons, and then the demon partnered will put their own magic into the stones for the charge.” 

It reminded Yonghoon of some of the magic games he’d played as a kid. A spelled weapon of sorts, but this was real and usable. ”Since you humans are mostly useless in any actual capacity against our kind. Your guns hold them back, but the real damage comes from these.”

“So, the reason why other territories don’t have them-”

Hwanwoong interrupts, “Because of the twins, yes. It takes too much out of them to make the stones, so mass production isn’t something we are looking at. Something just we get access to.”

While he understands mass production is out of the picture, Yonghoon wonders why they don’t have enough to at least give to teams from other compounds. “The Southern compound is made up of five teams. That’s not necessarily mass production?”

Dongmyeong tenses - Yonghoon barely catches it. 

Hwanwoong tilts his head and looks down at the weapons, his finger tracing the glass over a dagger. “You have a point… So, tell me Yonghoon, what are the long lasting effects of Old God magic on humans?” 

“I…” Yonghoon stumbles, looks away quickly, and then shuts his mouth. 

“We don’t know either, so you don’t need to feel so foolish. Just enough to remember to hold your tongue next time you have such an obvious answer to an obvious question.” Hwanwoong kicks his feet and looks to Dongmyeong. Dongmyeong looks to the floor. “You’re all test subjects. Once we are sure there are no dangers to more people using them, we will be happy to give humanity a fighting chance at survival. Don’t think we won’t. 

“But there’s no point in killing or tainting all of your best and brightest with the hopes that this will be successful. Otherwise you all end up back at square one, and eventually, our kind will stop holding back the waves they’re sitting on and rid your realm of humankind entirely. Everything comes in due time. If you follow instructions - which, I’m not questioning your ability to here, please understand this - you’ll be part of something great.” 

Once finished, Hwanwoong jumps off the display and walks around the room to Yonghoon’s side. “I hope I’ve not put you off.”

Yonghoon’s response is quiet, “No,” but it is obvious he had not been expecting Hwanwoong to really dig into him. 

“Pick a weapon Yonghoon. Anything you pick, Harin will teach you how to channel that magic and use it in the safe ways. You’ll be able to keep up with Dongmyeong and Dongju with this.”

His eyes scan over the displays around the room again and stops at a table holding an assault style rifle. It’s less long range than what he remembers of Seohos, and looks nice. Next to it sits a crossbow. 

"I can pick anything?" He ass agan, wandering to the display.

"Of course,” Hwanwoong smiles, “And if you work with it for a little while and don’t like it then you can try something else later." 

He stares between the two for a moment, and then points. "The crossbow."

"Nice pick,” Dongmyeong speaks softly. 

The rest of his day is spent getting a feel of the crossbow, and how to use it without the magic element. Harin spends most of that time complimenting how quickly he picks up the functions and abilities of the crossbow. And, once he’s spent hours drilling into his arms positioning, carrying and holding the bulky weapon, and safety for himself, the crossbow is taken from him. 

“We’re gonna send this out to Byounggon, and by tomorrow you should have a full fledged tool on your hands.” Dongmyeong and Dongju are needed to put the stones into the hilt, and then they’ll begin work on channeling. He’s told that will be the thing he spends most of his time working on. 

Once alone, he takes dinner back to his room and eats alone. It gives him time to unpack more of his things, and then wander the halls of the compound. He finds a library - takes a few books from there for future downtime - and returns his plate to an empty cafeteria. By dark things are quiet, almost scarily so. Few people wander the halls, and the trainees that do look as exhausted as Yonghoon feels.

When faced with the options of going to bed, catching up on rest he definitely could use, or continuing to wander he finds himself at the shooting range - leaning over the fencing separating the space and looking at the lined up targets.

“Yonghoon.”

He turns and looks directly at Dongju. In the bright light of the moon he can see the other man clearly - can see the crossbow he holds in his arms close to his chest. Like it was something fragile. In the dark his eyes give off a very faint glow, reminding Yonghoon that as gentle as Dongju looks now, he’s not human. And, not gentle. 

"Do you wanna test it out?" He asks softly, surprising Yonghoon.

Not gentle. Not gentle. He needs to remember.

Dongju holds out his arms, offering the crossbow to Yonghoon. With the weight in his hands he can feel the power vibrating in the weapon. It feels different from earlier in the day. The stones hold a green and gold tint to them, and as it’s twisted around in his hands, Yonghoon can see a faint glow emanating from each one. 

“Can I without Harin?” He asks quickly, before he gets too excited about the power he holds. 

Dongju shrugs and then points to the targets. “No one’s out here. And it’s my power. I’ve helped Hyunsuk use his before, so I know what it takes.”

This could be a set up. That’s the first thing that comes to Yonghoon’s mind. But with how Dongju stares at him, the look of uncertainty and unease he’d seen when being formally introduced, Yonghoon pushes the thought down. He’s got a short fuse, but in this moment, Yonghoon sees none of the dangerous beast he’d faced off with earlier. 

“I think I’d like that,” he finally answers. Dongju’s eyes can’t hide the glittering in them from his words, exposing his feelings. He’d wanted to help.

The two spend an hour or so sitting together, Dongju teaching Yonghoon how to feel the power, to focus on it, and to harness it. No actual shooting happens, but Yonghoon is closer than he was an hour before too using it. 

And as time goes on, Yonghoon picks up how slow Dongju is moving. His words come out slower, and his eyes start to lose focus. In those moments Yonghoon stops to wait for Dongju to catch up. He remembers Hwanwoong’s words. Making the weapons takes a lot out of the twins. 

"If you’re tired, you don’t have to stay out with me,” he offers after Dongju stumbles over an explanation. 

Dongju shakes his head quickly. He pouts, "Laying down won’t do much anyway. At least I'm being helpful."

Yonghoon stumbles over a response. This is a hint of vulnerability he is being shown. And, whether Dongju intends to be vulnerable, or if how sleepy he is leaves him open and exposed - Yonghoon doesn't intend to take advantage of this moment. "You've been very helpful," he finally musters.

Dongju whispers, "Except when I lost my cool at first with you," and avoids eye contact. His fingers move to the stones and poke at them idly. 

"Have you always been so protective of each other?"

"We have to be…"

The answer seems genuine, but Yonghoon doesn't understand the reasoning behind it. "Why? Everyone here seems to like the demons." 

Dongju doesn't respond at first. His fingers stop their poking and circling of the stones though, and Yonghoon realizes he's overstepped. The vulnerability shown is walled up again. Finally he answers, "I'm tired… gonna probably go to bed."

"Oh…"

Dongju stands up and dusts the back of his pants off. He stays quiet as he cleans himself up, and as he's walking away asks, "Yonghoon… I'll see you tomorrow?"

Yonghoon raises his hand and smiles at the demon. "Of course, Dongju"

"Good night."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone who has waited for this. I have worked through some of the major blocks with this series and now I hope to give you all some good food 🙂
> 
> As always kudos and comments are welcome~

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you again for your support! If you enjoyed it please let me know in a comment! They keep me encouraged to continue!!
> 
> If you'd like to have behind the scenes, small drabbles, sneak peeks, or to prod my mind with questions you can find me on Twitter @Omegatits!


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